Bundelkhand

Bundelkhand, historic region of central India, now included in northern Madhya Pradesh state, comprising the hilly Vindhyan region, cut by ravines, and the northeastern plain. Steep, isolated hills rising abruptly from the plains have provided excellent sites for castles and strongholds of Bundelkhandi mountaineers. The Dhasan, Tons, Ken, and Betwa rivers, in deep, ravine-fringed channels, are of little use for irrigation, though the Betwa River has been dammed and provides irrigation waters and hydroelectricity. Diamonds of good quality, though small in size, are found, particularly near Panna. Wheat, grain sorghum, and cotton are the principal crops.

The Gaharwars, the earliest recorded dynasty of Bundelkhand, or Jejakabhukti, were succeeded by the Pratihara Rajputs (warrior caste). The latter were supplanted about 800 ce by the Chandelas, who by the 11th century held sway over a large territory between the Yamuna and Narmada rivers. The Chandelas were overthrown in 1182 by Prithviraja, ruler of Ajmer and Delhi. After a period of ruinous anarchy, Bundela Rajputs (for whom the country is named) began to settle there in the 14th century, and for centuries afterward they engaged in guerrilla warfare against the Muslim power of Delhi. In 1545 Shēr Shah of Sūr, who had defeated the Mughal emperor Humāyūn, invaded Bundelkhand but lost his life while besieging the fortress of Kalinjar. In 1569 Kalinjar surrendered to the forces of the Mughal emperor Akbar. With the decline of the Mughals, the Marathas extended their influence and in 1792 were acknowledged the as lords of Bundelkhand. In 1803 the districts of Banda and Hamirpur were transferred to the British, and by the treaty of Pune (Poona; 1817) the British government acquired from the Marathas all territorial rights over the region.

Historically, Bundelkhand included several districts that are now in Uttar Pradesh. Prior to 1947, however, the name was restricted politically to the princely states of the Bundelkhand Agency, created in 1802 as a subagency of the British Central India Agency. In 1948 Baghelkhand and Bundelkhand merged into Vindhya Pradesh, which, with several former enclaves of southern Uttar Pradesh, merged with Madhya Pradesh in 1956. Bundelkhand thus no longer has any political identity.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Maren Goldberg, Assistant Editor.